Nissan Skyline R34 GTR - Dream Weaver

A Street Worthy 613WHP R34 Skyline GT-R

Nissan Skyline GT-R
613 WHP
452 LB-FT OF Torque
Dream cars, we all have them lingering in the back of our minds in hopes of it one day becoming a reality. Hitting the lottery, a big inheritance from an unknown, long-lost uncle; the scenarios are endless. The bottom line is, somehow the dream comes true. The Skyline GT-R is perched atop the list of many light-headed dreamers. But what flavor: R32, R33, R34, or the new R35? If you're going to dream, dream big. Why not all of them? Alex Shen, the owner of SP Engineering in the City of Industry, Calif., has a knack for dreaming big, and, more importantly, driving those dreams. Starting from his home garage, Shen has evolved his passion for performance into big business. As his shop has prospered he has collected Skylines. He currently owns a 957whp R33, the Athletic Silver '99 R34 that graces these pages, and has two R35s on the way for product R&D. One will be all BPU, the other will be balls to the walls. What about an R32? Shen's mission continues.

With The F-Con Fully Dialed In, The Gt-R Shredded The Rollers To The Tune Of
613 WHP AT 1.7 BAR
With brute power covered in the R33, the focus of Shen's R34 was a bit tamer, a bit more balanced, more response than top end, and more fun on the road than at the strip. The Nissan has been tweaked, tuned, and tinkered in every area; body and soul, inside out and underneath.

Shen resisted the urge to go single on the RB26DETT and has enlisted twin GReddy T517Zs with 10cm2 exhaust housings and P750 actuators. "Sticking with twins was key to the driveability of the car. We were able to flow a good amount of air up top yet retain some spool-up. The boost hits early and the engine makes a lot of torque. It's snappy so the car can be a handful but the Skyline chassis is awesome and definitely up to the challenge."

The turbos are sandwiched by GReddy downpipes on the hot side and a GReddy intake system on the cold side. Post compression, the charge air is cooled by a GReddy three-row intercooler and fed into a Nismo large-plenum intake manifold. From this point, boost is directed into an HKS-infested cylinder head. SP Engineering worked its porting magic on the both ends of the head and polished the vital areas. HKS high-speed valvesprings and retainers are joined by HKS 264-degree Step-1 camshafts to help speed the charge air into the cylinders. ARP hardware secures the head, which is sealed via a 1.2mm HKS head gasket designed to withstand the rigors of big boost.

Before running out to the dyno and unleashing the RB26, the crew addressed an often overlooked portion of performance equation, lubrication. Oil is the lifeblood of any engine and turbo motors are especially vicious as ungodly temperatures and torturous heat cycling are the norm. The smart move is to increase capacity and decrease the temperature. SP Engineering swapped in a high-capacity GReddy oil pan, installed a HKS oil cooler, and a GReddy oil pump capable of supporting 1,200 hp.

Once on the dyno the eclectic combination of parts really came together. "We have a good deal more experience with the RB26 than some may think. Beyond our R33 we have tuned a few GT-Rs for customers. With the twins we were after more than big top end." With the F-CON fully dialed in, the GT-R shredded the rollers to the tune of 613 whp at 1.7 Bar. An OS Giken R3C triple-plate clutch feels the pain holding the power and Shen relates that the clutch has met the challenge but takes some highly developed calf muscles to operate in traffic.

Sublime also describes the car's look. The Nissan flexes a wide array of body tuning pieces but they work so good together they give the car a look natural, organic feel. At the nose a real deal Top Secret front bumper, a carbon-fiber lip spoiler, and a carbon-fiber undercarriage diffuser are joined by a Top Secret hood. Do Luck is represented by a set of sleek side skirts and a rear wing that is fitted with custom shortened plate stands. Nismo carbon-fiber pillar trim covers round out the body mods. Stance goes along way in selling the look of a car and the Nissan's 19x9.5 Volk Racing Time Attack Edition TE37 wheels and 275/30 Toyo Proxes rubber are well tucked in their fenderwells.

The cockpit has been enhanced for comfort and performance. Shen swapped in a trick Nismo gauge cluster and a Sparco Champion limited-edition steering wheel with a Works Bell quick release that adds a shade of security with its flood of style.

This dream is no garage queen because Shen puts the spurs to the R34 three or four times a week, which plays daily driver duty considering the choices he has. "Six hundred horsepower breaks no records in the Skyline world," says Shen, "but this car is blast to drive. Its responsiveness and the clearness of its communication road feel-wise cannot be measured on a dyno." Dreams do come true.